Maximum Roof Pitch For Solar Panels

Flat roofs that are truly horizontal can have a ballast or attached system put in place to create a pitch of at least 10 degrees.

Maximum roof pitch for solar panels.

When you want to install solar panels it is vital to understand certain features of the roof and the solar panels. Trackers are structures which hold the solar panels in order to move and or tilt them according to the position of the sun. There are two types of solar panel mounting options. Fixed or tracking solar panels.

A solar panel roof load calculator helps you to establish the size and the weight of the solar panels that your roof can accommodate. For instance two solar panels may each have a 15 efficiency rating yet the power output rating of one is 250 watts and the other is 300 watts. At this level the solar panel can lie flat on the roof and get enough sunlight to produce enough electricity. Updated may 18 2020.

Tracking panels live up to their name they track the sun as it moves through the sky each day. Many roofs are going to have slopes between 30 and 40 degrees which means that solar panels can lie flush against the roof and produce enough electricity for attractive returns. Therefore panel efficiency is a better. This is a good option if the house roof cannot support the panels or there is a building with a better roof angle for maximum sun exposure.

Some degree of tilt 3 to 4 degrees is best able to help keep solar panels clean when it rains. Ideally a fixed roof mounted solar energy system should be at an angle that is equal to the latitude of the location where it is installed. However if you decide to go with a single ply membrane such as pvc by ib roofs or a properly installed standing seam metal roof then a pitch of 3 will be plenty sufficient and you should have no issues with the roof. 4 the higher output may simply be due to the 300 watt panel s larger physical size rather than having a high efficiency or more advanced technology.

Fixed panels are stationary and remain at the same pitch throughout the day and year. They cannot be mounted on a slanted roof. However pitch angles between 30 and 45 degrees will work well in most situations. Overall the angle of your rooftop has less impact on solar panel performance than the direction your roof faces.

If you are trying to install solar panels on a steep roof it may not be possible to place panels at the optimal tilt with traditional racking systems. Panels mounted on a standard pitch roof facing east or west will produce approximately 15 less output than panels mounted on a south facing roof of a standard pitch. Therefore directions like southwest or southeast are fine. Most roofs have an inclination of 30 to 40 degrees.

However solar panels can be orientated on any roof that faces south of either east or west. Solar panels should face south for any home in america to obtain maximum power generation.